Tooth-regulator.



'1. E. UANNING.

TOOTH REGULATOR.

APPucATloN HLED ram/20,1918.

.Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Z.- (jawn/27j,

JOHN E. CANNING, or DENVER, COLORADO.

TOOTH-REGULATOR.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN E. CANNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth-Regulators; andI dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates generally speaking to improvements in tooth regulators, but

morespeciflcally to a cap for cuspid teeth, the cap being for temporary use while straightening the teeth and its object being to hold the arch employed for straightening purposes in proper position upon the tooth in order to eiliciently perform the straightening function. This cap is applied to the upper part of the tooth but extends farther downwardly on the outside where it is provided with small projections which are in- -tegral with the cap and punched out of the same from4 the inside after forming slits which intersect at the point ofthe projection.v As illustrated in the drawing, these projecting parts are triangular in shape and are adjustable to facilitate the action of the arch in any particular case.

Having briefly outlined my improvement I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a view from the inside of one of the jaws showing a set of teeth, to two of which my improved caps are applied.

Fig. 2 is a side view partly broken away sholwing the cap in detail and on a larger sca e.

Fig. 3 is another view of the same looking in the direction of arrows 3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a set of teeth, one of which is equipped with my improved cap.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a slightly different use of the cap in conjunction with the arch..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 28, 1919.

Application led May 20, 1918. Serial No. 235,465.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7, Fig. 6.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate an arch which as illustrated in the drawing is composed of a closely woven wire spring forming threads which eoperate with threads in the anchor* ing members 6 at the extremity of the arch, the latter being so wound that its convolutions exteriorly form right and left threads on opposite sides of a part 7 which is connected with the twoV oppositely threaded parts of the arch and is adapted to receive a wrench or small pair of pliers for operating purposes. This construction is set forth in my previous application, Serial Number 141,083, filed January 8, 1917.

In Fig. 1 my improved cap which I will designate by the numeral 8 is applied to two of the cuspid teeth, the only object of this view being to show the general use of the cap in connection with an arch or arch band of any suitable construction.

My improved cap as illustrated in the drawing is shown applied in Figs. 4 and 6 to a-cuspid tooth of the upper jaw. Attention is called to the fact that this cap is relatively short on one side, as shown at 9. and long on the opposite side, as shown at 10. The long side of the cap, as illustrated in the drawing, is on the outside of the tooth 12 where the arch engages. On the opposite side there is no necessity that the cap should extend downwardly close to the gum, since the arch does not engage the cap on that side and the only function of its extension on the short side is to give a sulficient Acup-shape to the cap to hold it securely in place.

On the long side 10 the cap is provided with a number of pointed parts 13 which are formed by splitting the cap, the two slits intersecting at a point 14 and diverging so that when the part 13 is bent outwardly it is retained on the cap along a base 15 of considerable width, thus making it practicable to adjust the pointed part an indefinite number of times without danger of breakage. These caps are preferably formed of gold which is. of course. very flexible and ductile, and therefore. capable of resisting breakage to an indefinite extent.

When the pointed parts 13 are in position for use they extend outwardly from the outer surface of the cap asbest illustrated in Fig. 2, whereby they are adapted to retain the arch in place and by virtue of their proper adjustment ,they are also.

adapted to cooperate with fthe arch, not only to bring the tooth back into its'proper alinement or cooperative position with the other teeth but also to move it inwardly or outwardly, with reference to its position in the gum. n Figs. l and 'the arch is positioned to have a tendency in coperation with the cap, not only to pull the'tooth inwardly into its proper alinement with the other teeth, 'but also at the same time to move it downwardly with reference to ythe gum. In this case the arch engages 'the cap betweenr .twoof the projections 13 while the third projection is pressed inwardly and its presence is not noticeable. lt shouldbe explained that one or moreof these projections when not in use may be pressed inwardly to till upy the opening formed, and afterward moved outwardly into coperationwiththe arch band when needed.

In y.the form of construction v,shown in Figs. `v6 and 7, `the arrangement is such as to give the arch a tendency tocause the tooth to move upwardly instead ofdownwardly, 4and the projections 13 `are posi tioned to produce this result. The dotted line Iposition ofthe archband in Fig. l indicates that before the arch was moved into engagement. withthecapas shown in full lines in this view, its position wasbelow' the teeth.- Hence, when raised .into

the full line positionin this view, it will be under tension to move thetooth downwardly as well asinwardly. In Fig. 6 the dotted .line position of the ,arch is thereverse of that shown in Fig. 4 `to indicate that when the arch is in the full line posi.- tion it is under tension to move 'the'tooth upwardly.

From this it will lbe understoodthat the cap is exceedingly useful in cooperation with the arch, since it aids the latter inperforming its required :tunctionof lbringing the tooth from its unnatural position yback into proper position, both with reference tothe other teeth and also with reference of the gum, whereby the tooth shall not pro-y ject too far vor too short a distance from the gum.

In applying the cap to the tooth to be straightened, it should be temporarily cemented in place, so that it will be securely retained in proper position. After the tooth is straightened it lmay be easily removed from the cuspid. F romthis `itlwill be understood that it is only for temporary use during the tooth straightening operation.

Attention is called to the act'that since the cap has a plurality of projections the effective range of Ythe tooth straightenlng :function brought about through its co-l.

operation is greatly increased-` y For instance, after the tooth has been lmoved a predetermined distance or the full distance permitted with the arch in engagement ,with

ing of the arch for tooth straightening puroses. p 3. A tooth cap having an adjustable Aprojection to facilitatefholdingan arch vband during atooth straightening operation.

-i-. The combination withan arch fband, of a cap adapted'to be .appliedtoa tooth and having a plurality of adjustablei-pro- Aone of the projections, the archmayfbe ,ad-

ject'ions arrangedtocngage and -holdf'a-nd to cooperate with the said bandfor tooth straightening purposes.

5. A temporary tooth cap extending #far-- ther downwardlyton. one side Vofthe tooth than on the opposite side and equipped with adjustable projections adaptedto retain the band in proper positionduring thetooth straightening operation.

Intestimonywhereof l 'affix my signature.

J OHNl E. CANNING;

Copies ,of this patent may belobtaned frorfive cents eaclnby addressing the` Cominissiloner'v of Patents,

- Washington, D. C. 

